as in obnoxious
not pleasing or likable; causing you to feel dislike of someone or something
He has an off-putting manner. The restaurant's garish décor was off-putting.
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Recent Examples of off-putting
Seen in this light, Chutzpah isn’t meant to be some off-putting personality quirk.
—
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Squint, and the actor’s most off-putting moves could be attributed to his commitment to the grind, which could then encourage audiences to go see the results in action.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The lengthy literary references are a bit off-putting in an otherwise poignant story of secrets and growth by a first-time novelist.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Squint, and the actor’s most off-putting moves could be attributed to his commitment to the grind, which could then encourage audiences to go see the results in action.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 22 Dec. 2025
The lengthy literary references are a bit off-putting in an otherwise poignant story of secrets and growth by a first-time novelist.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 6 Dec. 2025
Baby ponders love in all its rejuvenating and off-putting shapes, sweating with a husband and father’s devotion but sometimes with a son’s pining for a closer connection with an oaklike and unreadable elder.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for off-putting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for off-putting
Adjective
-
Overpraised for her demented turn as Carmy’s mother in The Bear, Curtis has apparently decided to make a late career of playing hideously obnoxious, loudmouthed narcissists.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Because the motor is electric and the foil does most of the work, the noise, the churn, the fumes – the whole obnoxious package that defines traditional personal watercraft – are largely gone.—
Omar Kardoudi
March 11,
New Atlas,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
On the phone, Miranda admits she’s known for a week, but agrees that what Shinia did was disgusting.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The litter box was still disgusting.—
Jennifer Wolfgram,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This unpleasant odor, Smith explained, is the result of something called asparagusic acid, which is unique to the vegetable.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
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In addition to unpleasant flavors, how your flour smells or looks can indicate spoilage.—
Hannah Lee Leidy,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
This game started ugly, but the Jayhawks built a 38-18 halftime lead on the back of their defense.—
Shreyas Laddha,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
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Pushing too much hostility between team members or pushing Anthony too hard to be the peacekeeper could easily create an ugly atmosphere that spoils the vibe.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In the 1970s-1980s, all the agricultural talk in the Mississippi Delta was whether the boll weevil would be terrible or just awful this coming fall.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Mar. 2026
-
After a week of awful basketball, Minnesota led the NBA’s reigning champions – and favorites to repeat – by nine in the third quarter Sunday in Oklahoma City.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Every repeat viewing of Abraham's performance reveals some new moment of humiliation — some fresh sickening glimmer of anguish that feels all too familiar.—
Devan Coggan,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, in the middle of the nation’s public transit capital, the same engineers want to expand the shadow of the Cross Bronx, using maintenance and safety standards as convenient covers while further dividing and sickening communities.—
Gustavo Rivera,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Given how well Queta has played this season, that at-the-rim scoring binge was impressive, but not shocking.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Pasquantino piloted his team to the biggest win in Italian baseball history inside the same ballpark with their shocking 8-6 victory over Team USA on Tuesday.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Suddenly the whole thing seemed like a hideous dream.—
Elwyn "Bud" Myers,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
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One of most hideous images in American poetry, and yet one of the most memorable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Off-putting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/off-putting. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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